The importance of telecommunications continues to grow as the information demands of business and society continues to grow. In meeting these demands, telecommunication technology continues to expand and improve so that more advanced telecommunication services can be provided. These advanced telecommunication services require high bandwidth telecommunication networks so that audio, video, and data may be provided.
To meet these demands, telecommunication providers are turning more and more to fiber optic technology. A fiber optic based telecommunication network provides higher bandwidth at less cost than comparable copper-wire based networks. However, the conversion from copper-wire based networks to fiber optic networks is expensive and time consuming. Telecommunication providers are converting their telecommunication networks to fiber optic based networks in various phases over a number of years. Compatibility problems often arise during the interim of these conversions.
One such compatibility problem involves the switching of digital signals between fiber optic based networks and copper-wire based networks. The fiber optic based networks and copper-wire based networks normally provide digital signals in different formats and at different rates. The fiber optic based networks may provide a digital signal to the switching equipment in synchronous optical network (SONET) format such as synchronous transport signal level one (STS-1) format. The copper-wire based networks often provide digital signals in digital signal level one (DS1) format.
The switching equipment used to interface these networks is expensive and often inflexible. In some cases, the switching equipment is capable of handling only a limited number of SONET formatted signals from fiber optic based networks. In other switches, expensive interface cards must be purchased to handle the signals provided by the fiber optic based networks. As networks transition from copper-wire based networks to fiber optic based networks, switching equipment must often be replaced or updated because of the need to handle signals in different formats. These replacements and updates are often very expensive.